Textile material and the production thereof



July 29,1941. H.- DgEYF-u's v 2,250,575

TEXTILE MATERIAL AND THE PRODUCTION THEREOF Filed May 2, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H-DREYFUS July 29, '1941.

TEXTILE MATERIAL-AND m rnonucwxon- THEREOF Y Fi le'd May 2; 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HDREYFUS nlvsuro a H. DREYFUS 2,250,575

Patented July 29, 1941 TEXTILE MATERIAL AND THE PRODUCTION THEREOF Henry Dreyfus, London, England Application May 2, 1939, Serial No. 271,243 In Great Britain May 10, 1938 12 Claims.

This invention relates to textile materials, and

in particular to the manufacture of staple fibre yarns from continuous filaments, it being especially concerned with the direct conversion of continuous filaments into a continuous staple fibre product.

According to the invention a plurality of continuous filaments arered forward to a cutting position separated from each other so that each filament can be separately cut, andthe cutting points of the plurality of filaments are distributed lengthwise of the filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting one filament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of the filaments from that of a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament, and the ends of all the fibres produced by cutting one section of the plurality of filaments are substantially uniformly distributed with respect to each other in the lengthwise direction of the fibres. As the filaments are cut into fibres the several fibres arecompacted, and twistis inserted so as to form the fibres into a continuous coherent product, which, by reason of the distribution of the ends of the fibres substantially uniformly throughout the length of the product, has a high degree of uniformity in its appearance and other physical characteristics. Thus, for example, for the production of a product containing fibres of approximately or 12 inches in length, a bundle of, say, or 24 continuous filaments fed to a cutting position in separated form may have its filaments separately cut at intervals of -inch in the length direction of the bundle, or one of 40-50 filaments at intervals of approximately -inch, so that in the subsequently compacted product only one .pair of opposed fibre ends exists in any -inch or -inch section of the bundle.

With the filaments separated from each other and disposed as a relatively wide band, the cutting of each filament may conveniently be effected by a helical knife, preferably making one complete turn round the periphery of the cutting roller and if desirable more than one such turn. The roller having a periphery equal to the fibre length desired, each complete turn of the helical blade produces a line of cuts in the band of separated filaments which are uniformly distributed over a length of the band equal to the fibre length desired. The helical blade operates in conjunction with a suitable cutting bed, for example anendless supporting band or a second roller covered with resilient material, such as gutta-percha or rubber, to provide a support for the filaments as they are cut. Moreover, the helical blade may be embedded in a rubber or other resilient covering on its own roller, the cutting roller and the supporting roller thus forming a nip that serves to hold the filaments firmly during cutting, and also provides for the feeding of the filaments.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of cutting, compacting and twisting mechanism receiving filaments direct from a dry spining machine;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a detail of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically means for loading the cutting roller of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 shows a modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 shows the manner in which'cutting is distributed over the width of the band of filaments; and 5 Figs. 7-10 are details of the'construction of the roller carrying the cutting blade in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, a dry spinning cabinet I' is provided with a line jet 2 in which a band of filaments 3 is extruded, the band passing from thecabinet l at a point 4 with its filaments still in separated condition. The separation of the filaments is maintained by means of a comb 5 so that the filaments reach the nip of a pair of rollers 6, 1 in the form of a wide band (see also Fig. 6). The roller 1 has a covering 8 of guttapercha which serves both to enable the filaments to be gripped firmly between the rollers and to provide'a cutting bed for a cutting blade carried by the roller 6. The cutting blade is in the form of a helical knife 9 making two complete turns around the roller 6, the edge of the blade lying fiushwith the surface of a rubber covering ID with which the roller 6 is provided. A driving sprocket ll enables the roller 6 to be driven at' any desired speed and the nip between the rollers 6 and 1 enables the filaments to be drawn through the jet I at a speed equal to the peripheral speed of the rollers.

Because of the helical form of the blade 9, the band of filaments 3 is cut along lines I 2 at an acute angle to the length of the filaments, the lengthwise distance between the consecutive lines I2 equalling the periphery of the roller 6. The filaments are thus .converted into a band of long fibres and because of the separation of the filaments from each other, the end of one fibre is displaced by a substantial'distance (indicated at 13) with respect to the length of the lengthwise direction of the filaments.

Although considerations of easily and effectively compacting the bundle of fibres limit the width of the band that can be formed by the separated filaments, a helical cutting blade enables the line of cuts to form an acute angle appropriate to the length of the fibres even when long fibres such as or 12' inches are to be out.

By the process according to the invention, the

positionat which the several filaments are cut is efi'ected with great precision, so that whether the fibre lengths are made absolutely uniform throughout the whole product, or whether provision is made for some inclusion of fibres of difierent length, substantial uniformity is provided in the final product.

As regards the separation of the filaments from each other, it is to be understood that as far as practicable all the filaments in the bundle should be so positioned as to becut individually, since the coincidence of any substantial number of fibre ends at any section in the bundle would detract' materially from the desired uniform physical characteristics 'of the product. At the same time, it will be realized that if occasionally a small number, say 2, of filaments are simultaneously cut, thus producing fibres substantially coinciding in position, this will have little effect on the properties of the product. But the inclusionof "pencils of closely disposed fibres, as arises when a thick thread or a bundle produced by assembling a number of threads of filaments is cut at a point, is avoided by the invention, which depends essentially on the cutting being so carried out that the fibre ends are displaced from each other in the lengthwise direction of the filament bundle.

The fibres may be withdrawn from the cutting position at a greater speed than that at which the filaments are fed to the cutting position, so that at anycutting point the fibre ends are drawn apart from each other. This is effected in Figure 1 by passing the band of fibres over a support l4 to the nip of a pair of rollers [5 between which and the second pair of rollers I6 is stretched a pair of elastic bands H, the inner runs l8 of the bands being nipped together so as to grip the fibres across the width of the fibre band. The rollers [5 have a peripheral speed equal to or slightly exceeding the speed of delivery of the fibres, and the rollers I6 are driven at a higher As the band of fibres leaves the rollers IE it 1 passes into a funnel 2|) and through a balloon guide 2| to a cap spinning device 22. The twist inserted runs back to the funnel 20, and, aided by the funnel 20, compacts the fibres and enables them to be collected asacoherent product on the -bobbin 23. In the. modification shown in Fig. 5,

the fibres pass directly from the roller I to a funprogressively narrows from right to left of the roller. A helical member 35 having its sides cut to the same different pitches as those of the projection 33 can be screwed into the gap 34. The helical blade 9 (made in two sections, as shown in Fig. 8) is threaded on to the member 32 and registered therewith by means of pins 36 that engage holes 31 in the blade. Grooves 3B in one edge of the helical member 35 receive the pins 36 so that after threading the blade 9 on themember 32 the helical member 35 can be screwed into the gap 34 to nip the blade firmly into position. The member 35 is secured by means of a fiange 39 and bolts 40. The helical projection 33 on the member 32 and the helical member 35 have a. rubber covering l0 lying flush with the edge of the blade 9. The rubber l0 grips the filaments firmly against the gutta-percha covering 8 of the roller! and also allows the blade 9 to protrude sufiiciently to cut the filaments at the nip of the rollers 6 and I. h

The ends of the' two sections of the helical blade abut against each other. In order to avoid non-cutting of a filament that might find itself nipped at the very slight gap between the sections, thefilaments may be so guided by the comb 5 that half of them lie wholly within the sphere of influence of one blade section and the remainder within that of the other blade section.

The filament bundle may be of such a size that the fibrous product when compacted and twisted is suitable for direct use as a yarn, but if desired the product may be drafted to some lighter product, the uniform distribution of the fibres and substantial avoidance of coincident fibres in the bundle permitting such drafting to be effected.-

characteristics; for example, bright and dull nel 24' and thence by aballoon guide25 to a cap ..spinning .device'26., I

The roller 1 ;ismountedon a lever 21 pivoted'at 28, a spring 29 being connected to the lever 21 :so as tourgethesroller ,1 upwardly against the :rollerxi to providethe desired nip. A handle 30 on the-lever 2Ienables the roller 1 to be dewhichiismounteda sleeve 32 having a helical projection 33; thesides of which are of a slightly different p'itch"-iso that the intervening gap 34 end of a fibre produced :by cutting:

(pigmented) filaments or filaments ofdifferent denier may be simultaneously treated.

The invention enables a continuous staple fibre product to be formed in a single operation from continuous filament bundles as produced by either the dry spinning method or the wet spinning method. The weight of the final, product may correspond closely to that of the starting material, but, as mentioned above, the readiness with which the product may be drafted by reason of its uniform properties enables the continuous filament starting material to be preparedin a weight where most economicalspinning (extrusion and setting) can be carried. out, and the product can. then .be drafted to any lighter weight desired v Having described my invention, what 'I desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i,

1. Process for the direct. conversion-of continuous, filaments, into, a continuous staple fibre product, whichcomprises leading ayplurality of continuous filaments in theform ,of-, a band in which the filaments are, separated, into the trip of a pair of contacting: travelling surfaces, cutting each filament separately; while it; is travelling through the nipnofrosaidmsurfaces, .the cutting points in the plurality; ofi filaments-being=.distributed lengthwise, of the: filaments 1 so that a the onefilament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of the filaments from that of a fibre produced from a, neighbouring filament and the ends of all the fibres produced by cutting one section of the plurality of filaments are substantially uniformly distributed wtih respect to each other in the lengthwise direction of the fibres, and compacting and twisting thefibres into a continuous coherent product.

2. Process for the direct conversion of continuous filaments into, a continuous staple fibre product, which comprises leading a plurality of continuous filaments in the form of a band, in which. the filaments are separated, into the nip of a pair of contacting travelling surfaces, cutting each filament separately while it is travelling through the nip of said surfaces, the cutting points in the plurality of filaments being distributed lengthwise of the filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting one filament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of the filaments-from that of a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament and the ends of all the fibres produced by cutting one section of the plurality of filaments are substantially uniformly distributed with respect to each other in the lengthwise direction of the fibres, withdrawing the fibres at a greater speed from the nip of said surfaces than the speed at which the filaments are fed to said nip, so that at any cutting point the fibre ends are drawn apart from each' other, and compacting and twisting the fibres.

3. Apparatus for the direct conversion of continuous filaments into a continuous staple fibre product, said apparatus comprising a pair of contacting travelling surfaces, means for arranging a plurality of continuous filaments into a band in which the filaments are separated, and leading the band of separated filaments to the nip of the said surfaces, means for cutting .each filament separately while it is travelling through the nip of said surfaces with the. cutting points of the filaments distributed lengthwise of the filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting one filament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of the filaments from that of a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament, and means for compacting and twisting the fibres into a con- 'tinuous coherent product.

- 4. Apparatus for the direct conversion of continuous filaments into a continuous staple fibre product, said apparatus comprising a pair of contacting rollers, means for arranging a plurality of continuous filaments into a band in which the filaments are separated, and leading the band of separated filaments to the nip of said rollers, a helical blade on the periphery of one of said rollers, the other roller acting as a cutting bedfor said blade whereby each filament is cut separately while it is travelling through the nip of said rollers with the cutting points of the filamen'ts distributed lengthwise of the filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting one filament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of thefilaments from that of a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament, and means for compacting and twisting the fibres into a continuous coherent product.

, 5. Apparatus for the direct conversion of continuous filaments into a continuous staple fibre product, said apparatus comprising a pair of contacting rollers, meansfor arranging a plurality of continuous filaments into a band in which the filaments are separated, and leading the band of separated filaments to the nip of said rollers,

a resilient covering on one of said rollers, a hellcal blade carried on the periphery of said roller and protruding from said covering at the point of contact between said rollers, the other roller acting as a cutting bed for said blade whereby each filament is cut separately while it is travelling through the nip of said rollers with the cutting points of the filaments distributed. lengthwise of the filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting one filament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of the filaments from that of a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament, and means for compacting and twisting the fibres into a continuous coherent product.

6. Apparatus for the direct conversion of continuous filaments into a continuous staple fibre product, said apparatus comprising a pair of contacting rollers, means for arranging ,a plu-- said rollers, the other roller having a resilientcovering and acting as a cutting bed for said blade whereby each filament is. cut separately while it is travelling through the nip of said rollers with the cutting points of the filaments distributed lengthwise of the filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting onefilament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of the filaments from that of a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament, and means for compacting and twisting the fibres into a continuous coherent product.

7. Apparatus for the direct conversion of continuous filaments into a continuous staple fibre product, said apparatus comprising a pair of contacting rollers, means for arranging a plurality of continuous filaments into a band in'which the filaments are separated, and leading the band of separated filaments to the nip of said rollers, a resilient covering on each of said rollers, a hellcal blade carried on the periphery of said roller and protruding from said covering at the point neighbouring filament, and means for compact- 'of contact between said rollers, the other roller ing and twisting the fibres into a continuous co- 'herent product.

8. Apparatus for the direct conversion of continuous filaments into a continuous staple fibre product, said apparatus comprising a pair of contacting rollers, a comb for arranging a plurality of continuous filaments into a band in which the filaments are separated and guiding the band of separated filaments to the nip of said rollers, a helical blade on the periphery of one of said rollers, the other roller acting as a cutting bed for said blade whereby each filament is cut separately while it is travelling through the nip of said rollers with-the cutting points of the filaments distributed lengthwise of the filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting one filament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of the filaments from that of a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament, .and means for compacting and twisting the fibres into a continuous coherent product. i

9. Apparatus for the direct conversion of continuous filaments into a continuous staple fibre product, said apparatus comprising a pair of contacting rollers, means for arranging a plurality of continuous filaments into a band in which the filaments are separated, and leading the band of separated filaments to the nip of said rollers, a helical blade on the periphery of one of said rollers, the other roller acting as a cutting bed for'said blade whereby each filament is cut separately while it is travelling through the nip of said rollers with the cutting points of the filaments distributed lengthwise of the filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting one filament is displaced in the'lengthwise direction of the filaments from that of a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament, a funnel adapted to compact the fibres and means for twisting the fibres.

10. Apparatus for the direct conversion of con- 9 tinuous filaments into a continuous staple fibre product, said apparatuscomprising a pair of contacting rollers, means for arranging a plurality of continuous filaments into a band in which the filaments are separated, and leading the band of separated filaments to the nip of said rollers,

a helical blade on the periphery of one of said rollers, the other roller acting as a cutting bed for said blade whereby each filament is cut separately while it is travelling through the nip of said rollers with the cutting points of the filaments distributed lengthwise of the filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting one filament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of the filaments from that of a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament, means for withdrawing the fibres from the nip of said rollers at a greater speed than that at which the filarollers, a helical blade on'the periphery of one of said rollers, the other roller acting as a cutting bed for said blade whereby each filament is cut separately while it is travelling through the nip of said rollers with the cutting points of the filaments distributed lengthwise of the-filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting one filament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of the filaments from thatof a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament, a pair of elastic bands forming a nip into which the filaments pass from the nip of said rollers, an input roller and a delivery roller for carrying each of said elastic bands, means for drlvingrsaid delivery rollers at a speed greater than said input rollers and means for compacting and twisting the fibres emerging from said elastic bands into a continuous coherent product.

12. Apparatus for the direct conversion of continuous filaments into a continuous staple fibre product, said apparatus comprising ,a pair of contacting rollers, means for arranging a plurality of continuous filaments into a band in which the filaments are separated, and leading the band of separated filaments to the nip of said rollers, a resilient covering on each ofsaid rollers, a helical blade carriedon the periphery of said roller and protruding from said covering at the point of contact between said rollers, the other roller acting as a cutting bed for said blade whereby each filament is cut separately while it is travelling through the nip of said rollers with the cutting points of the filaments distributed lengthwise of the filaments so that the end of a fibre produced by cutting one filament is displaced in the lengthwise direction of the filaments from that of a fibre produced from a neighbouring filament, apair of elastic bands forming a nip into which the filaments pass from the nip of said rollers, an input roller and a delivery roller for carrying each of said elastic bands, means for driving said delivery rollers at a speed greater than said input rollers and means for compacting and twisting the fibres emerging from said elastic bands into a continuous coherent product.

- HENRY DREYFUS. 

